These sound bars are the best

The good: The Vizio offers excellent performance for an ultra-budget sound bar with great movie sound and toe-tapping music playback. The sound bar offers a decent selection of inputs, including Bluetooth, and will decode both Dolby and DTS. The sound bar and wireless sub feature excellent build quality and a seamless setup.

The bad: The LED display is not very helpful, and the WAV-file-only USB port is a little weird.

The cost: $115 to $148

The bottom line: It’s the best sound bar under $300 we have ever heard. It’s the new budget benchmark.

The good: The Yamaha offers excellent sound quality that is a step up from other budget systems. It offers a bevy of useful features for an affordable price. Build quality is excellent and includes a subwoofer made from MDF and not plastic. The simulated surround modes eclipse anything else available at the same price or less.

The bad: It doesn’t have an onscreen display for your TV.

The cost: $300

The bottom line: The Yamaha is an excellent sound bar package which offers sound quality that soars above others’ at the price.

The good: The Samsung is one of the best sound bars we’ve ever heard for both movies and music. The dedicated rear speakers deliver increased immersion compared to single-speaker designs. It’s cheaper than buying a Dolby Atmos receiver and speakers.

The bad: It’s expensive for a sound bar, and DTS support is limited. Dolby Atmos is available only on a limited number of titles compared with other surround formats.

The cost: $1,200

The bottom line: The Samsung combines the discreet looks and simple setup of a sound bar with truly impressive sound for both movies and music.

The good: The Pioneer offers outstanding sound quality for a sound bar, particularly when it comes to the blend between the sub and the main cabinet. Performance is even more impressive considering the size of the tiny wireless subwoofer, which is easy to hide in the room. And there’s also built-in Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming.

The bad: The system’s style won’t wow you, and the sound bar’s relatively chunky size might block your television’s remote sensor. The included remote is mediocre, and there’s no front-panel display for visual feedback while making adjustments.

The cost: $340 to $399

The bottom line: The Pioneer is the best affordable sound bar if you care about sound quality, with its outstanding sonics making up for some of its design limitations.